Kingdom Hearts: Ocean of Light
by kawaii-kuroi-neko
Summary: Sora, Riku, and Kairi discover a strange light one night. What they have discovered could be the beginning of the end for all the worlds... the end of Kingdom Hearts.
1. Flames on the Water

_**Chapter One: Flames on the Water**_

The ocean's waves fell upon the sandy shore of a small island. The sunlight, reflecting off of the crystal blue water, gave the day a fun, carefree feel. As another ocean wave made its way toward the shore, a star-shaped fruit feel upon the shore from a tree that grew to the side. The fruit was overcome by the wave and carried out into the ocean.

"I've got it!" yelled a voice from the shore. A brown haired boy dived into the ocean and swam at incredible speed toward the fruit. He surfaced out a ways and scooped the fruit up in his hands. He turned to the shore, waving the fruit with a huge grin on his face.

Back on the shore, two others watched him with amusement.

"Hurry back! So we can share it!" yelled an auburn-haired girl. The silver haired boy that stood beside her chuckled at her enthusiasm. "C'mon, Sora!"

The brown haired boy swam back quickly, tossing the girl the fruit once he made it back to shore. She giggled as she broke apart the fruit into three different pieces.

"Here you go, Riku," she smiled, as the silver-haired boy took the fruit from her. "And for you, Sora."

Sora took the fruit. "Thanks, Kairi," he said. The three looked at each other. And as if they had counted down, they all took a bite of the fruit at the same time. The fruit was sweet and refreshing as Sora swallowed his bite. He looked at the others for their thoughts.

"Now we are all destinies are intertwined!" Kairi smiled. Riku and Sora exchanged looks, not knowing what the other one was thinking. In truth, both of them harbored feelings for Kairi, but neither dared to say or do anything. They valued each other's friendship greatly and didn't want to risk anything against that.

"Well then," Sora continued, "what now?"

"I don't know," Riku said, putting his hands behind his head and sighing. "There's not much to do anymore. Everything seems so dull --"

"Since we've seen what an adventure really is," Sora finished. He felt the same way. If there was only someway they could venture back to every world they had been to. He missed his old friends sometimes.

Kairi and Riku watched Sora as he stood in the water, the tide flowing back and forth around him. They knew what was on his mind every time he looked up at the sky like that. He had done it so many times.

Then, something caught their eye. Out in the ocean, barely visible, something was shining brightly, giving off a blue color. The three friends looked at each other, not sure on what to think.

"Maybe it's a boat or something," Sora said, though he doubted it. He looked back out to it, studying it intently. He couldn't tell what it was. He felt a hand on his shoulder as Riku stood beside him.

"It's strange," he said. "We could swim out there and see what it is, but it'll be dark before we make it halfway back."

"Let's take a boat!" Kairi said. The two boys looked at her. "If it's still there tomorrow, we'll take a boat out there to see it."

Sora and Riku nodded heads in agreement, though; curiosity wanted them to see it now. But they overcame the feeling and helped Kairi to her feet. The three gave the shining light one last look before turning toward their homes.

** That Night **

Sora lay awake in his bed, thoughts filling his head. _What were his other friends doing at this moment? How were things going at Hallow Bastion? And what was that strange light out on the ocean?_

The wall was lit up with the eerie blue light. Sora stared at it. There was a quick flash of green and then the blue light returned. Sora sat straight up, looking out his window at the source. _Had his eyes played tricks on him? Had there really been a change in the color?_

He leaned out of his window, trying to get a better look at the mysterious thing. It flashed green again. An evil green. A green he had seen before. He heard a gasp beside him. He looked over and saw Kairi leaning out of her window as well. They looked at each other, wondering what they should do.

"Are you two just going to sit there, gawking at it? Or do you want to find out what it is?" came Riku's voice from underneath them. Sora looked down at him and nodded his head. He quickly made his way down to the dock with Kairi, as Riku waited there for them.

The boat was ready and Kairi made her way into it. Riku looked at Sora.

"Are you ready?" he asked. Sora looked at him, noticing an old spark in his blue eyes.

"I always am," Sora grinned. He and Riku quickly ascended into the boat. They both grabbed an oar and steadily began to paddle their way toward the glowing object.

As they grew closer, the light seemed to grow brighter, as if it was excited that the friends were making their way toward it. Kairi watched it as the boys continued to paddle. The light flashed green again, then back to blue. The three looked at each other for a moment, then continued.

The ocean was quiet, and strangely beautiful as the blue light reflected off of its surface. The water rippled as the small boat cut through the peaceful waves. There was another flash of green. The flashes began to grow more frequent to closer they became. Kairi gasped as she realized what the light was.

"It's fire!" she exclaimed. "There are flames on the surface of the water!"

Sora and Riku stopped to see what she was talking about. They weren't very far from it. The three gazed into the playfully dancing flames. It flashed green again. The boat glided closer.

A few feet from it, the flames flashed green repeatedly. Riku stood up in the boat and looked at the fire. They were close enough to touch it, but there was no heat being radiated from it. Sora stuck his oar out, toward the fire. He pulled it back with blue flames dancing on the end. He pulled it back and the three stared at it.

"What is going on?" Kairi asked. Riku looked at them both and then touched the flame. It wasn't hot, but rather cooling. But the moment he had touched the flame, it turned purple, as did the rest of the fire over the water. There was a light wind that made the flames seem to reach for them.

"Kairi! Get back!" Sora yelled, grabbing her arm and pulling her away as a group of flames jumped onto the boat. More flames reached out to them. Kairi backed away as far as she could, but the flames wrapped around her arm and around her stomach. The flames pulled her into the air, making her appear to float. They carried her toward the fire.

Riku and Sora grabbed her arm and leg, trying to pull her back down. But more flames came for them, wrapping around them and carrying them toward the fire.

"Sora!" Kairi yelled. "Riku!"

"Kairi!" they both yelled as the fire swallowed her. Riku and Sora looked at it with horror. They tried to fight against the mysterious force, but their attempts were futile. They each were engulfed by the flames as well. Sora tried to look around, but all he could see were the violet flames. Then he dropped.

He was perplexed when he hit solid ground instead of cold ocean water. He looked up at a star-lit sky. He sat up, rubbing his head.

"What's going on?" he asked. He caught sight of Riku and Kairi, not too far away.

"Are you guys okay?" Riku asked, standing up. He walked over to Kairi and helped her up as well. Sora joined them, and then quickly realized where he was. He stood gazing at the newly reconstructed castle of Hallow Bastion. Kairi stared up at it as well.

"How… did we get here?" Sora asked, his mind filling with confusion as his heart filled with joy.

"Sora! Watch out!" Kairi yelled. Sora quickly turned to see a small black being lunging at him. He quickly dodged to the side, and as he did, a large silver key appeared in his hands.

"The Keyblade!" Sora and Riku both yelled in surprise. Sora, out of instinct, quickly turned to the monster and slashed at it. The being fell to the ground, and evaporated into nothingness.

"We get here, and the first thing we see is a Heartless," Sora sighed, leaning the Keyblade into his shoulder. He looked to Riku.

"Why are we here?" Kairi asked. "Were the flames a type of portal?" Sora shrugged while Riku began walking toward the town.

"Let's go see if we can find some answers," he said, as Sora and Kairi joined him. They made there way through the streets. Sora stopped, feeling as though he were being watched. He turned and standing behind him was a hooded figure in a white cloak. The figure stared at him, taking in his being, while Sora merely looked back, transfixed at the person. The figure took one step forward.

"Sora, c'mon. What are you doing?" Kairi's voice called, snapping him out of the trance. He looked at Kairi and Riku who stood staring at him in confusion. Then he quickly looked back to the figure, but it was gone.

"What the –" Sora started.

"Sora," Kairi called again. Sora made his way to his friends glancing back a few times to see if the figure had reappeared.

He hardly noticed when Riku knocked on the door of a certain house, or when a familiar brown haired male opened the door with a slightly confused look.

"What are you doing here?" he said in a calm voice.

"We don't exactly know ourselves," Riku said.

"How have you been, Leon?" Sora asked. Leon looked down at him and smiled.

"We recently finished restoring Hallow Bastion to its original state," he said.

"Hey! Leon! Who is it?" came a female voice from inside. A black haired girl appeared beside him, looking out at the three friends.

"Hey, Yuffie," Sora smiled, scratching his head. The girl simply looked at them, not knowing what to think.

"How did you guys get here?!" she exclaimed. "I thought that you couldn't –"

"Yeah, we thought so too. But here we are," Riku said.

"Merlin might know what is going on," Leon suggested. "You could come in and talk to him." Leon made way for the three to enter the house.

Inside, books lay everywhere. Another girl sat at the table, her long hair braided behind her in a red bow. She looked up as the three entered.

"Sora!" she said in surprise.

"Hi, Aerith," Sora greeted. He caught sight of a man sitting in front of a computer not too far away. "And, Cid." The man waved behind him and continued at the computer.

"Sorry, he's hard at work on something. He won't tell anyone what it is, though," Aerith said.

"Hello, Sora. It's been a while," came another voice. The three friends looked over, and behind a pile of books stood a wizard dressed in blue. He looked around the pile, pulling on his long white beard. "What brings you three here?"

"They don't know," Leon said, answering the question himself.

"We were hoping that you would tell us," Kairi said. Merlin made his way in front of the three. He looked them over, studying them.

"Well, then, best you tell me what happened," he said, smiling. Sora, Kairi, and Riku all began telling the story at the same time, almost in sync. Merlin and Leon listened intently, while Yuffie looked at them with simple curiosity.

When they had finished, Sora, Riku, and Kairi looked deep breaths. Everyone was quiet; even Cid had stopped with his work to listen.

"It seems that someone has brought you here intentionally. That fire was indeed a portal, though I have only heard of it being used thousands of years ago. But this could be bad news," Merlin said, turning back to his books.

"Why would it be bad news?" Sora asked, watching the old wizard. Merlin held up a book and turned pages furiously. He stopped on a page and ran his eyes over it.

"This is why!" he said, holding the page so that the three could see it clearly. On it was a picture of a Shadow that resembled a serpent-dragon. "Over five thousand years ago, a great evil ruled the worlds that we all know. It caused great pain and set darkness over the worlds. Then a great warrior came with the power of light and he locked the Creature away in the darkness. I was afraid something might happen to awaken it."

"What would have awakened it?" Sora inquired.

"The opening of Kingdom Hearts. Do you remember when it happened? When you fought the so-called Ansem the first time? The beast may have been awoken by the pure light."

"Do you think it's possible?"

"It is possible; but I'm not sure that it's true. Someone could have studied the dark magic and they are using it now," Merlin sighed. "But – we must make precautions and then investigate this matter thoroughly."

"Make precautions?" Kairi asked. "What kind of precautions?"

"I will tell you tomorrow. But for now you must sleep. You may have a tough journey ahead of you," Merlin said, setting the book down.

"The inn will let you stay for free if you tell them that I sent you there. The innkeeper owes me for something," Leon said. The three friends nodded their head and bade good-bye to their companions.

Riku led the other two toward the inn. Sora and Kairi looked up at the night sky, wondering what could be happening.

"This great evil… Could it really have awakened?" Sora asked.

"If it has," Riku said, "then we'll fight it, and defeat it, together." Sora looked at Riku and smiled, nodding his head in agreement.

"Hey, Riku," Kairi said running up to him. Sora felt his heart beat faster. He turned quickly to the side and saw the hooded figure in white again. It stared at him with an unnatural gaze.

_Awaken me…_

"What?" Sora asked. The figure stared at him. Did it really say something?

_Awaken me…_

"Sora! Stop daydreaming!" Kairi yelled from the steps of the inn. He turned to see her with her hands on her hips. "C'mon, Sora!"

Sora looked back to the figure, but it had disappeared again. He blinked a few times, then turned back to join Kairi and Riku. Was the figure real? Or was he just tired? What did it mean when it said 'Awaken me…'?

The three stepped into the inn, wanting a good night's rest, but not finding it. Thoughts filled their heads about what was happening. One by one, they fell asleep, dreaming about a giant black dragon enveloping the worlds in darkness.


	2. The Chosen One

_**Chapter Two: The Chosen One**_

Sora awoke the next day, the sun shining through the window onto his face. He rolled over onto his side and looked at his two friends. Kairi lay asleep on the other bed, her auburn hair falling in her face. The sunlight radiated around her, giving her a holy look. Riku mumbled something in his sleep. He was on the couch, since he had lost the game of 'Rock, Paper, Scissors.' Sora closed his eyes again and smiled. He quietly slipped back into sleep, forgetting about where he was and how he had gotten there.

"Sora," came a gentle voice beside him. Sora opened his eyes to see Kairi's deep blue eyes staring down at him. He blushed slightly and sat up, stretching and yawning. Then he turned to the window, suddenly remembering what they had experience the previous night.

"Are we ready to head for Merlin's so we can find out what we are going to be doing?" Riku asked, rubbing the back of his head.

"I'm ready!" Sora said, springing to his feet. Kairi giggled slightly, then turned to the two.

"Alright! Let's get going!" she exclaimed. She led the two boys out of the inn and to Merlin's house.

Inside, Merlin greeted them and sat them down at the round table in the middle of the room. Cid continued to tap wildly at his computer. Aerith sat quietly, looking at an old photo album she kept. Leon sat at the table with the others, ready to listen to what Merlin had to say, while Yuffie had left to walk around the area.

"Now, no time to chit-chat. Let's get down to business," Merlin said, watching the youth carefully.

"Tell us what we have to do," Sora said, sitting up straight and looking around at the others.

"You, Sora, must go to each world, and unleash the light it holds within," Merlin said, looking at the boy. "With the Keyblade, you must go to each world and find the seal that holds the light. Break it with the Keyblade, and unlock that light. A purity barrier will encase the world and protect it from the darkness that threatens it."

"If they have always had the barrier, then why haven't they been used this entire time?" Sora asked.

"Because, the barrier can only be used once," Merlin said, quietly. He looked around the room.

"Only once?" Riku asked, slightly confused. "What do you mean?"

"The light within the world will fade, once it has been released. And the world will lose that light forever."

"Won't that be bad?! If a planet loses its light?" Kairi added.

"No, Kingdom Hearts is the true source of each world's being. The light within the world was meant to be used as a safeguard. And we need that safeguard before each world is overtaken with evil," Merlin sighed.

"If there is a threat, you mean," Leon said, adding to the conversation. "We should investigate before we unlock any worlds' light."

"Very true," Merlin agreed, thinking to himself. He stood up and walked over to the window, looking out with interest. "Sora, you and your friends need to go to all over Hallow Bastion and search for anything unusual."

"Okay, we will," Sora said. He stood up with his friends.

"We should have transportation for you, so you can travel to other worlds, when you get back," Merlin said, waving them on. Sora nodded his head and led his friends through the door.

"This is all kinda confusing," Sora murmured. Kairi nodded her head.

"It should become more clear the longer we stick to this," Riku said knowingly.

"So, where to first?" Kairi questioned, looking up and down the streets.

"Let's head down to the castle, now, so we can have plenty of time to look around," Sora said. The other two agreed to this and they walked down the street to the renovated castle.

On the way, they met Yuffie, who was making her way back to the house.

"What's up, Yuffie?" Sora asked. She stopped and greeted the friends.

"Just on the watch," she said. "I haven't seen any Heartless or anything else. It's strange. Maybe the protection system is finally working."

"That's great!" Kairi smiled. Yuffie quickly said good-bye and continued on her way.

"At least, there's not any Heartless," Sora said.

"Yeah, but it is kind of strange. Of course, there wouldn't be many Heartless around nowadays," Riku said. They stopped in front of the castle and looked up at its towering heights. Memories came flooding back to Sora. Saving Kairi, fighting Riku, and Maleficent. He shook his head, throwing those memories to the back of his mind.

"It's so beautiful," Kairi said, shaking back her hair. Riku and Sora looked at each other.

"Well, we're not going to find anything if we just stand here and stare at it," Riku said, stepping forward. "Let's go." Sora and Kairi nodded their heads and followed him to the castle doors.

Riku and Sora pushed against the doors and opened them with great difficulty. Kairi was the first one in. The castle was dark but there were torches lined against the wall.

"If only we could light these," Sora said.

"Let's look around for something," Riku said. The three searched the ground for anything that might be of use to them. Several minutes passed before Sora came across two small pieces of stone.

"I found some flint!" he called out. He picked up the pieces and noticed that they had a faint, white glow about them. He stared down at the stones and thoughts crossed his mind.

"Excellent," Riku said as he grabbed on to the torches from the wall. He grabbed the flint from Sora and quickly lit the torch. The dark foyer lit up dimly, with eerie shadows dancing against the wall. Sora stared at Riku. Had he not seen the faint glow?

Riku began lighting each torch as they passed by them. Slowly, things began to become more visible. In the main hall, three staircases lead to different parts of the castle. The three looked around, noticing that there were curtains over windows. They quickly pulled open the curtains and let the sunlight pour into the hall. The designs on the floor and on the ceiling became visible. Kairi sighed in awe at its beauty.

"I think we should split up," Riku said. "We will cover more ground in faster time that way."

"Okay," Sora agreed. "If any of us run into any trouble, just whistle as loud as you can."

"Alright," Kairi agreed. Riku handed the two a torch and lit them.

"Just in case," he said. Each headed for a different staircase: Kairi taking the right, Sora taking the middle, and Riku taking the left. Sora watched as the other two disappeared into the hallways and then turned to the door in front of him. A large serpent was carved into it. It stared down at him, making Sora uneasy. He quickly opened the door and made his way inside.

Sora held the torch out in front of him. He saw more curtains and began opening them. The hall began to light up. It was a small hall though, and Sora caught sight of another door at the end. He pulled open another curtain and looked down to the courtyard below. Trees grew healthily among the ground giving off a peaceful look. The wind blew gently through them, and Sora thought he could actually feel the breeze.

_Awaken me…release the light…_

Sora quickly turned and saw the white figure from before. He became uneasy again, but he was strangely warm inside. Who was this figure? Or what was it?

He took a step toward it, and the figure disappeared through the door, like a ghost. Sora swallowed hard and ran to the door. He opened it and glanced inside. He held his torch high, so he could see better. He turned and saw the figure standing in the corner, emitting a faint light. Sora made his way toward it. When he came a few feet from it, it disappeared into the wall.

Sora inspected the place where it had vanished and came to a power box. He looked around, not knowing what he should do. He reached out and pulled the switch up. The lights flickered on and lit up the room brightly. Sora shielded his eyes from the sudden brightness. He blinked furiously, trying to focus his eyes.

Then he caught sight of them. Heartless. Several of them. They ran at him, their glowing yellow eyes determined to take him down.

The Keyblade appeared in Sora's right hand. He looked at the creatures and swung diligently at them. He took them down quickly and with ease. Sora looked around to see if there were more but found the white figure instead. It stared at him. No… at the Keyblade. It held out its arm, pointing to the weapon.

Sora, unsure of what to do, just stood there.

Awaken me…Release the light…Keyblade wielder… 

"Are you… the seal for this world?" Sora asked.

The figure shook its head. It took a step closer to Sora and the Keyblade began to glow.

"But, I can't release the light until I know for sure, that the great evil has really awakened. I can't release any light! And if you are not the seal, then what are you?" Sora said.

_The Darkness has come… It wishes to rule once again… Only with the true light can it be defeated… Awaken me and I will aid you on your journey…_

Sora felt a slight uneasiness in his stomach. Should he believe this being?

I must protect all worlds… I must protect Kingdom Hearts… I am the Guardian of Light…And you are the Warrior of Light… 

"I don't understand," Sora said.

_I will show you…_

The room began to fade into black. Sora looked around. There, in the middle of the darkness, a large door stood. Kingdom Hearts.

_In the beginning, there was balance… Dark and Light… All was harmonious… But, as the Dark does, it began to grow hungry for control… It took over the worlds and engulfed Kingdom Hearts… But the Light fought back…_

Sora looked around and watched as Kingdom Hearts was overcome by the Darkness. Everything was black. Then, a sword cut through the Darkness and a boy emerged. Along with a figure made of Light.

_A Warrior came forth and pledged to vanquish the Dark… And so I was created from Kingdom Hearts… To aid the Warrior of Light and to help Protect all that was good…_

The room began to fade back to normal and Sora looked at the figure once again.

_I am the Guardian of Kingdom Hearts… And you are Its chosen Warrior… Awaken me so that I may aid you…_

Sora looked at the figure as the Keyblade continued to glow. Then, out of instinct, Sora swung his weapon as light swirled around him. He pointed the Keyblade at the figure and a light shot from the tip and into the stomach of the being. It let out a sigh and fell to the ground. Sora ran over to it.

_Keyblade wielder; chosen Warrior… I will find you in your time of need…_

The being faded away. Sora looked around, mystified. He heard a whistle. He turned quickly and ran for it. It had been Kairi.

Sora dashed down the hall and through open the door, running to the right.

"Help!" came her voice. Sora looked behind him and noticed that Riku was following. They came to a huge mass of Heartless with Kairi in the middle of them. She fought them off the best she could but she was slowly being overtaken. Sora and Riku jumped in the middle of the mass and began fighting them off. The more they killed, the more that seemed to appear.

Then, a loud screech came and the Heartless backed off. Sora, Riku, and Kairi regrouped and watched the Heartless. They seemed to be in pain and they began to melt together. A dark Shadow-being walked to the mass, and then turned to the friends.

"You all will succumb to the Darkness," it said. It had wings that fluttered as it spoke and it looked much like a human being, except without a face.

"We will never let the Darkness take control!" Sora yelled.

"The Warrior of Light – you will be destroyed!" the being yelled. It walked into the melting mass of Heartless and laughed. The Heartless began to conform to the being, growing into a hideous creature. It grew larger, growing multiple arms. Sora and his friends looked at each other then readied themselves into their battle positions.

Sora jumped at the beast's arms, slashing away, but doing little damage. Riku slashed wildly at the monster. But the damage seemed to be minimal.

"What's going on?" Sora yelled.

"Face it, Warrior, you cannot defeat the Darkness," the monster yelled. It grabbed at the friends with its arms and held them in the air. Sora slashed at its wrist but nothing happened. The monster merely laughed.

"What will happen when you are by yourself? When you have no one to help you, Warrior?" it asked. It looked at Kairi and threw her.

"Kairi!" Riku and Sora yelled. A blue portal opened up behind her.

"Sora!" Kairi yelled, before she disappeared into the portal. The monster laughed at Sora's pain.

"_Inotiche!_" came another voice. Sora and Riku turned their heads to see a white hooded figure standing in front of the monster.

"_Ah, unjop coiln ffarj nipf,_" the monster replied in a strange tongue.

"_Uo nocht onlif harlun kipt unjop,_" the figure replied. "_Lerg taeg goy._"

"_Reft ohn sject_," the monster hissed. The hooded figure stood staring at it.

"_LERG TAEG GOY_!" The figure raised its arms and waved them aggressively at the beast. The monster let out a painful cry as a large white X was slashed across its chest. It dropped Sora and Riku and fell back a few steps.

"Chosen One! Use my power to defeat this dark monster!" the hooded figure said, forming a ball of light, which was thrown at the monster. Sora acted quickly and ran at the monster, jumping high into the air and through the ball of light. Ribbons of light wrapped around him and the Keyblade. Shining wings grew on his back and he dove straight for the monster's heart.

There was a deafening cry as Sora thrust the Keyblade into the monster and the ribbons of light forced their way into the wound. The monster fell to the ground and Sora landed in front of it as it melted away into nothingness.

Riku looked at Sora, stunned. Sora let out a sigh and fell to the ground. The wings on his back disappeared. Riku ran to him and helped him to his feet again.

"Are you okay?" he asked. Sora nodded his head and looked over to the hooded figure who stood a few feet away.

"You are not used to the power that you just received," it said. "With time, you will master it."

"Where's Kairi?!" Sora exclaimed. He looked around furiously, but didn't find her anywhere.

"They most likely took her to the Dark Realm," the figure replied.

"Then let's get her back!" Riku said.

"It is not that easy. You must become stronger if you ever want to save your friend! The Dark Realm isn't like anything you've seen before. Besides, you must save the worlds! That is your job."

Sora looked at Riku, who shrugged.

"I will help you," the figure said.

"Who are you?" Riku asked. The figure lifted its hands to the hood and pulled it back, revealing a girl with light brown hair. She looked at the two with a serious gaze.

"I am Hikari – Guardian of the Light," she said. Sora and Riku looked at her, not sure of what to think.


	3. The Duck and The Dog

_**Chapter Three: The Duck and The Dog**_

Evening was almost to an end as twilight began to settle in its place. The moon began to rise as its counterpart began to disappear behind the horizon. The streets of Hallow Bastion were dark as small yellow eyes peered from the shadows, eyeing the trio that walked toward a house where the glow of a fire could be seen out of the window.

Sora and Riku walked to the door of Merlin's house, accompanied by a white-hooded figure. Riku and Sora looked at each other and nodded their heads. The door opened before any of them had the chance to grab the handle. Yuffie stood in front of them, eyeing them suspiciously.

"C'mon!" she exclaimed, grabbing Sora and Riku by the wrists and pulling them in. The hooded figure followed them in. Yuffie sat them at the table as Merlin came out of the back room. He held a book in his hands.

"Sora, did you find anything unusual," Merlin asked without hesitation. Yuffie plopped on the ground nearby, so she could listen in on the conversation. Leon leaned against the wall, listening in as well.

"We think that the Darkness has escaped," Sora said. Merlin shook his head, as if in doubt of the boy's words.

"I was afraid that this was true," he said. "But I think I found a way to defeat it, once and for all. It's all here –" Merlin held out the book for them all to see. "We must find the Guardian and the Warrior of Light. Together, they may be able to stop the Darkness. But the forces aren't equally matched. The Darkness has been growing in power since its release. I believe it wants a final showdown."

"But where do we find these two? Where do we even look?" Yuffie piped in. Leon looked over to Sora and then to the hooded figure. He smirked to himself and walked over to where Aerith was sitting in a chair reading a book but also listening in to the conversation.

"We already have the Guardian and the Warrior," Riku said, closing his eyes as he talked. Merlin looked to him, with slight confusion on his face; a look that didn't suit the wizard at all. He looked at Sora who had his mind on other things. Sora wasn't thinking about the conversation; he was more worried about Kairi.

"Are you saying, dear boy, that Sora is the chosen Warrior?" Merlin asked. Sora seemed to come out of his daydream when he heard Merlin say this. He looked at the old wizard.

"That's what I've been told," he said. He looked to the hooded person.

"Is that…? I thought that was Kairi," Merlin said, looking to the same person.

"Kairi has been taken. We think she is in the Dark Realm," Riku said. He thought back to the incident. He had felt so helpless in aiding her. He hated that feeling. He looked down at the table, trying hard to forget that feeling.

"Then, who is…?" Yuffie cut-in, staring at the hooded figure as well. All eyes bearing down, the figure slowly pulled back the hood. Light brown hair fell past her shoulders as the girl looked around the room.

"I am Hikari, Guardian of Kingdom Hearts."

"Whoa! The Guardian is a girl?!" Cid exclaimed from over by his computer. He had obviously been listening in on the conversation as well.

"Hey! What's that suppose to mean?!" Yuffie yelled, standing up quickly. "Girls can be powerful too, ya know!"

Sora and Riku chuckled slightly. Hikari gazed at Merlin with no hint of expression upon her face. Merlin closed his book quickly, not taking his eyes off of the girl.

"So, this is the Guardian," he said, breathlessly. "The being closest to Kingdom Hearts. I am honored to be in your presence."

"Please," Hikari said, standing up slowly. "I am nothing to be honored. I am just a being that reflects only a small fraction of what Kingdom Hearts truly is."

Sora looked at her, realization coming to him. She was the closest thing to Kingdom Hearts. And you could tell. She had a certain glow in her hair, and her golden eyes warmed the heart of anyone she looked at. "Why am I the Warrior?" he asked.

"No one knows why Fate gives us a certain path, but we must follow it, and accept our destiny," Hikari said. Sora looked down at the Keyblade.

"Oh, that reminds me," Merlin said, "you have a way to travel to worlds now."

Sora looked at him, and then noticed the door to the back room open. A white duck and a black dog-creature walked out and looked up at him. Sora's eyes went wide with excitement. "Donald! Goofy!" He ran over to them and hugged the startled creatures.

"We have the Gummy Ship ready, Sora," quacked the duck.

"We came as soon as we heard what might be happenin'," the dog said.

"Alright! Let's go!" Sora yelled with anxiousness. Riku grabbed his shoulder to calm him down.

"Not so fast," Yuffie said, walking quickly over to Hikari. "You can't send the Guardian out looking like this. Everyone will know who she is!" With that said, Yuffie grabbed Hikari's wrist and pulled her to the back room. Sora and Riku looked at each other, confused.

"And that gives me time to give you this," Cid said, standing up and walking over to them. In his hand, he held a large silver disc. "This is what I have been working on for the past few months. I didn't really have a purpose for making it, but now I have a reason to test it out. Merlin said that once you release a world's light, nothing can enter the barrier until it disappears. And who knows how long that may be."

He handed Sora the disc. "This baby will hopefully be able to transport you to a location on the planet after you have released the barrier. It's not ready yet. I still have to work on the transporter here. But just set that baby anywhere, so it'll be ready when you need it."

"Thanks, Cid!" Sora said, smiling widely. Merlin walked over to them.

"It seems we may be better prepared than we thought," he chuckled. The old wizard turned back to his bookshelf and browsed along the titles. Leon came to Sora, his arms crossed and a smirk on his face.

"I know you'll be able to do this," the brown haired man said, and then a smile crept on his face. "Just remember, don't let your head get too big, Warrior of Light."

"Yeah, you won't be able to fight too well if you have an overlarge head," Riku said, messing up Sora's hair.

"Hey!" Sora cried. He brushed Riku away. "I just want to protect the worlds, and get Kairi back."

"At least you have your priorities straight," Leon said, more serious.

"Ta-da!" Yuffie sang from the back of the room. "My masterpiece!" Hikari stepped forward. She was dressed in purple top and tan pants. She had a long purple scarf around her neck. Yuffie looked at her with great pleasure. Hikari didn't quite know what to think; nor did the others.

"Now, what to do with your hair," Yuffie contemplated.

"We don't have time for that," Donald spat. "We have to go if we want to save the worlds."

"Ohhh…" Yuffie whined. An idea hit her and she quickly ran back into the back room. Sora, Riku, Donald, and Goofy walked toward the front door; Hikari slowly following behind them.

"Good luck, and tell us how things went!" Merlin said. Cid nodded in agreement. Sora gripped the silver disc tighter in his hands and smiled at the two. Goofy put his hand on the doorknob when Yuffie burst out of the room.

"Wait!" she called, running quickly to Hikari. "Here! Take these. They are good luck. I want you to have them." Yuffie smiled brightly as she handed Hikari three hair ornaments. Hikari thanked Yuffie and followed the others out of the door. Yuffie sighed and plopped down in a chair beside Leon. "Hope they do well."

**-On The Gummi Ship-**

"Everything is ready!" Donald said, turning to Goofy. "Let's go!"

Goofy flipped a few switches and the Gummi Ship began to rumble. Everyone took their seats and they took off.

"So, where are we going first?" Sora asked, excited to be heading to another world.

"I don't know. I guess what ever we come across first," Goofy said. Riku chuckled at Sora's enthusiasm. He turned to Hikari, who was staring down at the three hair ornaments that Yuffie had given her. She placed one, three silver balls tied together, on one side of her head. On the other side of her head, she placed three golden balls. And underneath her hair, Hikari placed a braided charm. It was purple and silver ribboned with a golden sun and a purple feather. She looked over to Riku, who had watched her place the ornaments.

"It was nice of Yuffie to give me those," she said, with no hint of a smile on her face. Sora turned to look at her. He smiled brightly. Hikari stared at him with interest.

"So, how did you become the Guardian. What did you do before?" Riku asked.

"Nothing," Hikari replied. "I just simply existed. Waiting to be released into the physical world."

"You've been waiting?!" Sora exclaimed. "For how long?"

"Just since the last Guardian was called upon. I don't know how long ago that was. Probably thousands of years ago."

"There was another Guardian before you?" Riku asked, raising an eyebrow. He crossed his arms across his chest and looked to her for her answer.

"I am sorry. I have said too much. That is something you need not know of yet," Hikari said, sighing lightly.

Riku went to protest, but Sora spoke quicker. "That's okay. Hey, Hikari," he said smiling enthusiastically still, "do you think the Darkness can be put away forever?"

"Not forever. There are people who are filled with Darkness long after it is put away. But it can be put away for a very long time, to protect the worlds of Kingdom Heart."

Riku went to speak again but was once more, cut off by Sora. "Hey, Hikari," he said, looking at her a bit more seriously. Hikari looked at him, ready to answer any questions that she saw fit. "Do you smile?"

"What?" Hikari said, caught off guard by the question.

"I haven't seen you smile or laugh or anything! I was just wondering if you could."

"Well, I guess I can, I wouldn't see why not," Hikari replied, unsure of what he was saying.

"Smile for us," Sora said. Hikari looked at him nervously. Then she realized that Riku, Donald, and Goofy were looking at her as well. So, she made an attempt to smile. She hadn't in so long, that it was something that she had almost forgot. She smiled as best she could, without trying to look too fake.

"Garsh, she has a pretty smile," Goofy said. And it also seemed to be a warm smile, literally. Sora and Riku noticed that their bodies felt warmer. They both knew that it must be because she was apart of Kingdom Hearts.

"Goofy," Donald said, looking to his long-eared friend.

"What is it, Donald?" Goofy replied.

"Who's flying the ship?"

"I was, but… I'm here."

"GOOFY!" Donald yelled, going berserk as he made his way up to the controls. Goofy followed him. Sora felt the ship shift slightly and gain speed.

"Oh no! Everybody buckle up!" he cried. He grabbed a belt and strapped himself into the seat. Riku and Hikari did the same.

**-On A World Somewhere-**

Sora was the first to step out of the wrecked Gummi Ship. He looked around and saw nothing but jungle. Riku followed him out, then Goofy and Donald. They all looked around, to see if they recognized anything from this world. Nothing stuck out to them.

"Well, I guess this is our first world," Sora said. "But what about the Gummi Ship? It looks in pretty bad shape."

"Well, I think Goofy should fix it. It's his fault anyway," Donald quacked in anger. Goofy winced under the foul's gaze.

"Garsh, I'm sorry," he sighed.

"Well, we just need to fix it so that we can get on our way as soon as we're done here," Sora said. He saw Hikari step out of the ship, holding the silver disc Cid had given him. "Oh yeah!" He ran over to Hikari and took the disc from her. He looked around to find a good clear spot to place the device. There was a large rock nearby, and Sora found it the best spot. As soon as he placed it, a green light blinked on it. Sora looked at it confused. Cid didn't tell him that this would happen.

"Try pushing it," Riku said over Sora's shoulder. Sora took the advice and pushed the small button. The disc sprouted long silver spikes that dug themselves into the ground, fastening the device in place.

Sora smiled in triumph, turning to his friend. But he was swiftly distracted by Donald's quacking fury.

"Hey! Stop being so angry!" Sora cried out. He ran over to the duck. Goofy was looking at the ground in shame. "Goofy, don't listen to him. You know how he gets when he's angry."

"What is that suppose to mean?" Donald snapped. Hikari made her was over to him. She gently placed her hand on the duck's shoulder. Donald looked up and became quiet. Hikari looked at Sora and then to Riku. Then her golden eyes scanned the surroundings.

Donald let out a sigh and seemed to calm down. Hikari smiled to Sora, who looked surprised at her reaction.

"Hey, Goofy," Riku said, "would you mind staying to repair the Gummi Ship?"

"I guess I could," Goofy said, still staring at the ground.

"Hey!" Sora called. Goofy looked up at him. "Only happy faces on this trip." Goofy took in what he said and chuckled in his goofy way.

"We'll be here to help you Goofy!" came to small voices from the Ship. Two chipmunks ran out, and up onto Goofy's shoulders.

"Chip here!" announced one.

"And Dale!" the other said. "We'll help Goofy fix up the ship in no time!"

"Thanks, guys," Sora smiled, grateful that Goofy wasn't being left alone. He felt sorry for him, leaving him behind. But Goofy was the only one who knew something about Gummi Ships. "Don't worry, Goofy! We'll be back in no time!"

Sora turned to make his way into the jungle, the others following suit. They didn't know much about this world, but it was a world none-the-less. And it needed to be saved. With the help of his friends, Sora felt he could do just that.


End file.
